How to Launch a Teen: Backward Planning

A goal without a plan is just a wish. (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

I was in my mid-20s when, having left university without a degree, I got a job with a psychology group practice and had the opportunity to become a certified stress management trainer. As part of the process, I created my first Five Year Plan. Through the implementation of that plan, I was able to complete my Bachelor's degree and enter a Masters program in counseling psychology.

I like to develop a Five Year Plan using backward planning. I start with the goal and work backward. Here are a series of questions that I find helpful:

• What has to happen in order for the goal to be reached?  At this point, you aren't thinking about how long a particular action will take or when it needs to happen or the sequence in which you will do things.  This is a brainstorming session.  You should spend about 30 minutes coming up with as many actions that need to be performed for you to reach the selected goal.  Now keep the list available over the next few days and add any other ideas that come to you.
• Do any of these things have to be done so that other things can happen?  It is helpful to transfer all your ideas to individual index cards and sort them in chronological order along the various chains of events that will surface from your action list.  You will probably find gaps and need to add to the list.
• Of the things on your list, what needs to be done in the 5th year?  The 4th?  Continue working backward until you get to an action list for the upcoming year.